Please Join SOS by registering [here] It's free to join.
Save-our-Sharks is an angling organisation dedicated to restoring and conserving shark, skate and ray populations in the UK. Membership is free and open to anglers and non anglers alike.
Please look below to see what SOS have been up to, and news of the latest campaigns.
Also please look [here] to see the latest UK shark news and discussions and feel free join in the often lively debates. On the site you will find, how to catch Tope and Common skate and the safe handling of them, articles of fishing experiences, new shark tagging recaptures and much much more. Why not tell us about your fishing experiences, show your photos etc.
SOS was founded as a result of reports that a commercial fishing operation for Tope in British waters was being considered and although this did not materialise, many felt legislation needed to be implemented to stop any subsequent threat and to stop Tope being taken as by catch. SOS was invited to join the Shark Alliance and we immediately accepted as we realised many of the regulations needed to be changed within Europe as many sharks are migratory and cross many borders. When SOS was founded just three years ago, we highlighted four species of shark that required urgent protection. Three out the four now have a limited protection but it is hoped the European Shark plan of action (CPOA) will increase that protection on these and all other European sharks later this year.
1, The tope is now protected in English waters (See below) but unfortunately the Scottish Government is refusing to fall in line, which undermines the great work being carried out by Defra
2, The Spurdog now carries a 5% bycatch limit, which has stopped the longliners from targeting the residential populations in some of the Scottish Lochs. Commercial organisations are questioning this ruling but Defra seem to be holding firm. Whether this is enough for the regeneration of the species only time will tell.
3, The Porbeagle now has a Total Allowable Catch (TAC) applied to them; although set too high, it is easier to have a TAC reduced than to have one applied so hopefully common sense will prevail at this December’s fishery talks.
The fourth species highlighted was the common skate which unfortunately failed to get protection under the recent Wildlife & Countryside Act
What else is new?
SOS and the Shark trust
We are increasingly grateful for the great work by Ali Howe and the team at the Shark Trust See [here]
Ali is responsible for much of the proactive stance Defra have taken on the Sharks and her scientific background has proved invaluable to us. We are looking forward to working with Ali on the skate and ray issues in Scotland.
SOS Sea Anglers in Brussels
Three SOS members have just returned from Brussels where they attended the third Shark Alliance members meeting.
The Shark Alliance is a not-for-profit coalition of over 50 non-governmental organizations dedicated to restoring and conserving shark populations by improving European fishing policy. Because of the influence of Europe in global fisheries and the importance of sharks in ocean ecosystems, these efforts have the potential to enhance the health of the marine environment in Europe and around the world.
The mission of the Shark Alliance is two-fold: To close loopholes in European policy regarding the wasteful and unsustainable practice of shark finning; To secure responsible, science-based shark fishing limits for long-term sustainability and ecosystem health.
Ian Burrett, Denis Kelly and Nigel Proctor attended various workshops at the meeting and helped make plans for the 2008 European Shark Week. Last years European Shark week resulted in over 20,000 EU signatures demanding sensible shark management, being handed in to the commission.
Attending organisations were encouraged to make representations to their individual countries’ permanent secretaries to raise the profile of the CPOA; an action plan being developed by the EU commission, which hopefully will provide greater protection for Europe’s sharks species.
Nigel, Denis and Ian met up with the UK permanent secretary David Trip and gave a short presentation, congratulated Defra on their proactive approach to shark management and highlighted their disappointment that Scotland was undermining Defra’s fine work by refusing to unilaterally protect its native sharks. David was very attentive and promised to pass on our concerns.
tope – a code of best practise
After the recent tope protection Defra were keen that a tope code of best practise was published giving the tope as quick and safe return as possible. The code was written by SOS and many other organisations were asked for comments. The code can be found at [here]
European Plan of Action for sharks:
SOS was pleased to contribute to the first round of consultation on the long-awaited Community Plan of Action for sharks (CPOA). It is hoped that the CPOA will provide the framework for improved shark management in Europe and in fisheries frequented by EU vessels.
An intense period of lobbying will follow through the spring and summer of 2008 so as to ensure the content of the CPOA is not compromised and its effectiveness reduced. It is hoped that the UK will champion the CPOA in Europe. The SOS response can be found at [here]
SOS and SSACN
Because SOS, SACN and SFSA were duplicating work in Scotland a new organisation the Scottish Sea Angling conservation Network (see [here]) was formed for lobbying the Scottish Marine Directorate. So much of the Scottish SOS work is now carried out under the SSACN banner. SSACN has achieved charitable status and holds regular meetings with the MD.
We recently held a very successful event in the Holyrood (Scottish parliament buildings) and Sea angling was debated for the first time ever in a Scottish parliament. Details of the event can be found at [here]
The Angel Shark has at last been awarded protection in English waters under the Wildlife & Countryside Act. In December 2006 the Angel Shark was declared extinct in the North sea and is listed as "critically endangered" by the IUCN. From April this year it will become illegal to target, kill, or injure an Angel Shark within six nautical miles of the English coast.
Skate and rays
Thornback now have limited protection in the North Sea by use of a 200kg bycatch limit but the Scottish Government is again unwilling to protect the much depleted stocks on the west coast. SOS and SSACN have produced a report showing the demise of the west coast skate and rays and will lobbying the Scottish government for protection of them. See the paper at [here]
What’s happening in the next few months? SOS will continue to lobby UK, Scottish and EU governments for a precautionary approach to shark management in the CPOA We are also considering what action to take towards the Scottish Governments refusal to protect the west coast shark species and will be in touch shortly regarding this.
June the 8th - World Ocean’s Day 08 – SSACN/SOS have a stand at this event which will be held at Port William, Sunday 8th June 11am to 4pm. It should be a great day for the kids.
World Oceans’ Day was established at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and is an international celebration of the seas aimed at raising awareness and understanding of the marine environment and threats to it.
11th - 19th of October European Shark Week: After last year’s success European Shark Week will be returning between the 11th and 19th of October 2008. If you are interested in getting involved or holding an event please let us know.
Upload: spurliner
Pic taken from a book called The natural history of Sharks....
Shark levels fall to 1/5 of original stock levels due to ‘ghost-fishing’ of abandoned gillnets - Perry
- Abandoned gill-nets of 250-400km length damaging our fish stocks - No means of retrieving abandoned gill nets; they remain on our seabeds damaging our fish stocks Fine Gael Spokesperson on the Marine, John Perry TD, has said Marine Minister John Browne is being irresponsible in his approach to illegal fishing gear. In response to a question from Deputy Perry, Minister Browne said the Irish Naval Services are not equipped to retrieve abandoned or illegal gill nets despite the fact that the European Commission may take action against Ireland for this failing.
“During gillnet fishing a large number of nets are lost and abandoned, even while fishing continues. As a result of this practice sharks have fallen to one fifth of their stock original levels in less than 10 years. This waste of fish at a time when stocks are scarce is scandalous. The Government’s failure to address this issue is indicative of their out of touch attitude to the marine industry.
“While I recognise that our Naval Services have other important priorities, I would like to make a constructive suggestion to Minister Browne. He could initiate a process, possibly a one off process to begin with, to ensure the retrieval of these gillnets. A system could then be put in place to police these waters to try and prevent further vessels abandoning their nets.
“While the prohibition of these nets was a massive step forward for conservation efforts, the fact that nets are being left to cause damage on our seabed is unacceptable. A number of European countries have been involved in this type of fishing off the Irish coast since the mid-1990’s, with the main target species being monkfish and deepwater sharks. An Bórd Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) recently conducted a major international study, which was delivered to the European Commission, called the DEEPNET Report.
“The report showed that vessels can use approximately 5,000-8,000 nets each, with a total length of between 250-400 km of net per vessel. Illegally used gill nets dumped off the coast of Ireland are continuing to damage fish stocks. Nets are cut loose, thrown away and discarded. They can be left ‘ghost-fishing’ for two to three years. The length of gear being fished is totally unregulated. When nets drop to the seabed their owners go on fishing, catching and killing fish. The DEEPNET report produced evidence of this.
“Despite a much-hyped announcement about the cessation of this practice, the damage continues because we cannot retrieve this gear. Minister Dempsey has made many speeches to the media recently about Ireland possibly getting fined for fishery offences. I am calling on Minister Browne to be responsible on an economic and conservation level. To show a determination to ensure our fish stocks are not unnecessarily damaged and to make sure that Ireland is not open to avoidable EU fines.”
ENDS
Note: Please find attached full text of PQ
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION No. 346
Dáil Éireann
To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if the Irish navy finds gear that is dumped illegally, what can they do to retrieve same; if the navy have the equipment to retrieve said gear; if EU fines will be imposed on Member States that fail to retrieve gear; and if he will make a statement on the matter. - John Perry T.D.
* For WRITTEN answer on Tuesday, 21st February, 2006.
Regarding the ban on gill netting in waters deeper than 200 metres, this regulation requires the removal of such nets from Areas V1 and V11 by February 1st. Naval services will be responsible for policing this
REPLY
Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr J Browne)
The ban on the use of deep-water gill nets requires the removal of such nets from the areas covered by the ban by 1 February 2006. The Naval Service is responsible for policing the ban within the Irish Exclusive Fisheries Zone (EFZ), and monitors fishing activity in this zone to ensure that the banned gear is not deployed. New EU rules came into force on 1 January 2006 which require that gill-nets must be marked with the identification of the vessel to which it belongs, which will facilitate the work of the Naval Service in this regard.
Where this type of gear has been abandoned, Naval Service vessels are not equipped to remove them. In any case, I do not believe that this would be the best use of Naval Service resources given the heavy control and enforcement demands upon it. The recovery of abandoned gill nets may be undertaken by Member States hiring commercial boats, as was done by BIM (the Irish Sea Fisheries Board) and the UK authorities in 2005. I will be pressing for coordinated action at EU level to build upon this work. It will be a matter for the European Commission to decide whether to pursue action against Member States who fail to control the activities of their fishermen in relation to the gillnet ban.
IUCN NEWS RELEASE A STING IN THE TALE FOR SHARKS AND RAYS
Expert findings show sharks and rays are now amongst Europe’s most threatened animals as more are added to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Gland, Switzerland, 20 February 2006 (IUCN) – The number of species of sharks and rays on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species will increase based on the findings of a three-day expert workshop, hosted by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), that examined the conservation status of the species in the Northeast Atlantic and Mediterranean waters.
The workshop confirms the widely-accepted notion that slow-growing sharks and rays are exceptionally vulnerable to over-fishing, and that deep-water species are being depleted at an alarming rate. Some formerly important commercial species are now so rare that they are no longer being sought by fishermen, but their risk of extinction is still rising because of continued incidental capture in fisheries for more abundant species. This situation is exacerbated by the lack of shark fisheries management in European waters.
"Sharks and rays are amongst the most threatened animal groups in the UK today. I welcome the development of a Red List baseline, against which to monitor the hoped-for changes in their status that should arise from increased awareness of their plight," said Dr Malcolm Vincent, JNCC's Director of Science.
Nearly 100 species of sharks and rays were evaluated against the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Categories range from Extinct to Least Concern and Data Deficient. Species deemed Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered are considered threatened with extinction and are added to the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Shark Specialist Group, which convened the meeting, will compile these assessments for a regional report that will include recommendations for conservation action.
Proposed additions to the Red List include three species of angel sharks, two species of skates, and several species of deep-water sharks, all of which are considered Critically Endangered in the region, as well as two species of coastal ray, now considered Endangered. The species found to be at lowest risk were generally small and fast-growing coastal species, like cuckoo ray and lesser-spotted catshark, and very deep ocean species that are still beyond the reach of today’s fishing fleets.
Angel sharks, formerly abundant large coastal sharks, were once a common sight in fish markets, but have largely vanished, almost unnoticed, from the European seas that are their world stronghold.
“Now officially declared extinct in the North Sea by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (fisheries advisers to European countries), the angel shark was nominated in 2001 for strict legal protection in British waters, but we are still waiting for government action on this proposal,” said Sarah Fowler, Co-Chair of the Shark Specialist Group. “Workshop participants emphasised the urgency of protecting this, and many other imperilled species.”
Three species of deep-water sharks, taken as incidental catch in fisheries and increasingly targeted for their meat and rich liver oil, were assessed as threatened. A population decline of 80-95% prompted a Critically Endangered classification for the region’s deep-water gulper shark.
“These exceptionally slow-growing sharks are simply not biologically equipped to withstand such intense fishing pressure,” said Tom Blasdale, Marine Species Adviser at the JNCC. “We welcome recent European Union action to manage deep-water gillnet fisheries, but similar measures are still urgently needed to protect deep-water sharks taken by trawls and longlines.”
The shortfin mako shark, a favourite target of commercial and recreational fishermen around the world, was proposed as Vulnerable in the Northeast Atlantic and Critically Endangered in the Mediterranean Sea.
“This wide-ranging species is increasingly the target of fisheries and yet lacks any type of protective measures in this region,“ warned Alen Soldo of the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Croatia. “Of particular concern are mako sharks in the Mediterranean, where our findings revealed ongoing fishing pressure well beyond the reproductive capacity of the species.”
In contrast to similar workshops held in North America, South Africa, and Australia, the workshop yielded little if any good news, due largely to the lack of shark and ray conservation measures in this region. Protection is granted by just a handful of European countries for the three largest species (basking shark, devil ray, and great white shark). The few European shark and ray quotas in place are routinely set far in excess of actual catches and therefore do not limit fishing pressure. They also cover only part of these stocks. Scientists’ advice for zero catch of many depleted shark and ray species has been ignored. There are no international limits on shark catch, even as fisheries for wide-ranging shark species (such as mako and blue sharks) expand and evidence of their declines mounts.
Scientists from government agencies, universities, and private institutions participated in the workshop including authors of published papers on shark and skate population status and experts who develop advice on shark quotas for European and international fisheries of the Northeast Atlantic. Experts from England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Russia, Sweden, Canada, and the USA took part.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the world's most authoritative guide to the status of biological diversity. The workshop was the eighth in a global series to assess all of the world’s shark and ray species and develop regional conservation priorities. Resulting Red List proposals are preliminary until accepted by the global Shark Specialist Group network.
There are not thought to be hidden reserves of sharks Sharks could be more vulnerable to the fishing industry than was previously thought, research has revealed. Marine scientists led by Aberdeen University have discovered that the deepest oceans of the world appear to be shark free.
One possible reason could be due to lack of food.
Researchers warn that the findings mean all shark populations are within reach of human fisheries and could be at greater risk than was thought.
In a paper published on Wednesday - 'The absence of sharks from abyssal regions of the world's oceans' - the international team of researchers report that sharks have failed to colonise at depths greater than 3,000m.
Sharks are found throughout the world's oceans and it had been hoped new species would be discovered as exploration went deeper.
There is no hidden reserve of sharks in the deep sea - it's highly unlikely we are going to find anymore
Prof Monty Priede Aberdeen University
However, 20 years of exploration combined with analysis of records over the past 150 years, has convinced the scientists that the world's oceans are 70% shark-free.
The average depth of the oceans is 4,000m and bony fish - relatives of cod - thrive down to around 9,000m depth.
The scientists do not know why sharks are absent there but suggest one possible reason could be due to lack of food.
Professor Monty Priede, director of Oceanlab at Aberdeen University, said: "Sharks are apparently confined to around 30% of the world's oceans.
Within reach
"All populations are therefore within reach of human fisheries, near the surface and at the edges of deep water.
"Sharks are already threatened worldwide by the intensity of fishing activity.
"But our finding suggests they may be more vulnerable to over-exploitation than was previously thought.
"As far as we can see there is no hidden reserve of sharks in the deep sea. All we see is all there is - it's highly unlikely we are going to find any more."
The scientists based their conclusions on a wide range of data, which includes information gathered during a major expedition along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Iceland and the Azores in 2004.
The team also used findings built up over the last two decades when the university's Oceanlab started developing landers - remotely operated vehicles - which have been used in deep waters all over the world.
Expeditions using landers visited deep areas including the south Atlantic off the Falkland Islands.
